Men in Great Place are thrice Servants: Servants of the Sovereign or State; Servants of Fame; and Servants of Business. So as they have no Freedom, either in their Persons, nor in their Actions, nor in their Times. It is a strange desire to seek Power, and to lose Liberty; or to seek Power over others, and to lose Power over a Mans self. The Rising unto Place is laborious; and by Pains men come to greater Pains: and it is sometimes base; and by Indignities men come to Dignities. The Standing is Slippery, and the Regress is either a Downfall or at least an Eclipse, which is a melancholy thing.
Sir Francis Bacon – Essays – Holt edition 1701
3 comments:
The Epicureans had a maxim "Live unknown!"
“Happiness and blessedness are not found in the amount of one’s wealth or the eminence of one’s position or in office or authority, but in absence of pain and calmness of feeling and in a disposition of mind that marks the limits of what is natural.”
Do you know the Hilary Mantel trilogy about Thomas Cromwell? The first two are excellent.
DJ - the Epicureans were right.
"...a disposition of mind that marks the limits of what is natural." If only voters would look for this when they vote, but many don't seem to recognise its absence, as if it is absent in themselves and they can't recognise it. An odd and elusive aspect of human nature.
dearieme - thanks for the suggestion, I've never read anything of Hilary Mantel's even though she was Derbyshire born. The Kindle version of the first book in the trilogy is on offer at the moment so I've just downloaded it. I'm bound to enjoy it, Cromwell was a fascinating character.
Post a Comment